Methods of separating a glass web

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11008244-B2
Application number	US-201615777491-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2016
Priority date	Nov 25, 2015
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

Methods of separating a glass web that is moving at a glass web velocity. The method includes exposing a separation path on the glass web to at least one laser beam spot that moves with a laser beam spot velocity vector that is equal to a glass web velocity vector in a conveyance direction. The method also includes creating a defect on the separation path while the separation path is under thermal stress from the laser beam spot, whereupon the glass web spontaneously separates along the separation path in response to the defect. In further examples, a glass web separation apparatus includes a first reflector that rotates such that a laser beam spot repeatedly passes along a separation path and a second reflector that rotates such that the laser beam spot moves in a conveyance direction of the glass web.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of separating a glass web comprising the steps of:
(I) moving the glass web at a glass web velocity including a glass web velocity vector in a conveyance direction of the moving glass web;
(II) exposing a separation path on the glass web to at least one laser beam spot to produce thermal stress along the separation path by reflecting at least one laser beam off a first reflective surface rotating about a first axis, the separation path extending in a direction transverse to the conveyance direction;
(III) moving the laser beam spot at a laser beam spot velocity including a laser beam spot velocity vector in the conveyance direction that is equal to the glass web velocity vector by reflecting the at least one laser beam off a second reflective surface rotating about a second axis, wherein the separation path continues to be exposed to the laser beam spot to continue producing thermal stress along the separation path while the glass web moves at the glass web velocity; and
(IV) creating a defect on the separation path while the separation path is under thermal stress produced during steps (II) and (III), whereupon the glass web separates along the separation path in response to creating the defect.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including repeatedly passing the laser beam spot along the separation path in the direction transverse to the conveyance direction to produce the thermal stress along the separation path during steps (II) and (III).

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the laser beam spot velocity of step (III) includes another laser beam spot velocity vector in the direction transverse to the conveyance direction, wherein the laser beam spot moves in the conveyance direction and the direction transverse to the conveyance direction such that the separation path continues to be exposed to the laser beam spot to continue producing thermal stress along the separation path while the glass web moves at the glass web velocity and while the laser beam spot continues to repeatedly pass along the separation path in the direction transverse to the conveyance direction.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of repeatedly passing the beam spot includes repeatedly passing the beam spot in a single direction transverse to the conveyance direction.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the single direction comprises a direction extending from a first edge toward a second edge of the glass web, and wherein the defect is created closer to the first edge than the second edge.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one laser beam reflects off the first reflective surface before the second reflective surface.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one laser beam reflects off the second reflective surface before the first reflective surface.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (IV) is performed while step (III) is performed.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (IV) is performed after a predetermined level of thermal stress is achieved along the separation path during step (III).

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one laser beam spot of step (I) comprises a plurality of laser beam spots that are each reflected from a different reflective surface rotating about a respective rotational axis, and produce thermal stress along a corresponding segment of the separation path during steps (II) and (III).

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein each segment of the separation path overlaps a portion of at least one adjacent segment of the separation path.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the defect of step (IV) is created with a laser or by mechanically engaging the glass web.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the glass web includes a length and a width extending between a first edge and a second edge of the glass web, and the conveyance direction is a direction of the length of the glass web.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the glass web comprises a glass ribbon drawn from a forming body, and the conveyance direction is a draw direction of the glass ribbon.

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Abramov Anatoli Anatolyevich

Classifications

• B28D5/00

  Fine working of gems, jewels, crystals, e.g. of semiconductor material; apparatus or devices therefor (working by grinding or polishing B24; for artistic purposes B44B) · CPC title

• C03B33/091

  using at least one focussed radiation beam, e.g. laser beam (C03B33/0955 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B28D5/0052

  Means for supporting or holding work during breaking (means for conveying work to or discharging work from the breaking machine B28D5/0058) · CPC title

• C03B33/0215

  the ribbon being in a substantially vertical plane · CPC title

• B28D1/225

  for scoring or breaking, e.g. tiles · CPC title